Author: Michael Harrison

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Please find attahced up to date Security Guidance for working under COVID-19 conditions.

All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.

The YCS will operate under the same temporary guiding principles as the rest of the adult estate when it comes to carrying out the Governments’ instructions on social distancing, although it is important for children to continue to have social contact and therefore we are referring to “Physical distancing” instead. All non-essential activities and activities involving large groups of people or mass movement of children and young people have been ceased. Children and young people all have access to telephones in their rooms and have been provided with additional PIN credits free of charge.

Children and young people in custody are recognised as a particularly vulnerable group and additional safeguards should be considered where necessary. Human contact is especially important for children and young people, so this should be provided where possible and practicable.

The YCS must take steps to monitor, manage and mitigate the threat of significant numbers of staff and children and young people becoming infected with COVID 19 over a short period. This is so that safety and stability across the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE) can be maintained. Secure settings have a legal duty to safeguard the vulnerable children and young people held in their care. There is a high level of mental health disorder and neurodisability in this cohort of children and young people, and staff are required to pay particular attention to these needs to ensure there is no increase self-harm or suicide resulting from this extraordinary situation. It is also critical that our staff health and wellbeing are protected and supported.

The Youth Custody Service will shortly be providing detailed guidance to support all three sectors that provide Youth Detention Accommodation (Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Secure Children’s Homes).

Whilst the below core principles apply to all children and young people in Secure Training Centres and Secure Children’s Homes they are out of scope of the broader operational guidance within this document.

Young Offender Institution (YOIs) under 18 sites

Before this guidance and any wider related guidance related to HMPPS response to COVID-19 is applied, the YOIs who hold children and young people need to ensure that any plans or implementation of guidance fit with YCS and NHSE&I core principles.

Core Principles:

• CONNECT: The single biggest risk to mental well-being is isolation and disconnection from others. In the Secure Estate, given the increased risks of social isolation at this time, it is essential we maximise opportunities for relational connection, whilst maintaining physical distance.
• Maintain Relevant Contacts: Priority should be given to ensuring children and young people can maintain contact with family and Youth Offending Team worker.
• Promote Physical Health: Maximise personal and hand hygiene.
• Provide as much fresh air as possible: Maintain good physical and mental health bymaximising physical activity and access to fresh air (in line with physical distancing guidance).
• Structure the day & create routine: Structure can be helpful especially when living with others, as it allows a sense of predictability and control. Establishing (or maintaining) a sense of routine is essential. Ensure regular timing for access to medication, including those who may have received a diagnosis of ADHD.
• Ensuring there are activities to do: The need for meaningful activity is paramount in protecting well-being and preventing challenging behaviour.
• Allocate or maintain meaningful roles: Where possible, allow young people to maintain or develop particular roles and responsibilities, either as individuals or groups. This may be as helpers, mentors, entertainers etc. Developing a respected role is important in maintaining purpose and belonging with others.
• Promote openness – Normalise anxiety and encourage children and young people to access support when they need it be particularly watchful over those that are withdrawn, quiet or find it difficult to ask for help.
• Crisis plan: Be pro-active in planning for those children and young people that you suspect may find periods of isolation or high stress particularly difficult. At each site the SECURE STAIRS multi-disciplinary team should be in place to identify and support those children who are most vulnerable. A Formulation and support plan will be critical in providing support.
• Coordinated YCS and NHSE&I Response: The Critical Case Panel has been extended to ensure support and advice is coordinated across the CYPSE via daily, weekly and monthly review processes in addition to the central Enhanced SECURE STAIRS team that has been mobilised across YCS, psychology and health.

All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.

During the current nationwide situation it is imperative that all staff are kept up to date with changing advice and guidance that is being centrally published.  As you are all aware, staff will become more anxious when they are not included in communication streams. When the Service is operating in a business as usual status Governors generally have large gatherings via full staff meetings and within operational boardrooms.  Although the temptation is to continue with this mode of communications, Governors should consider, where possible alternative arrangements for communicating with your staff. There have been reports of large full staff meetings and operational boardrooms with standing room only in the last couple of days.  Although as a Service we have been identified as essential key work, this does not mean that we should not consider the Governments advice on social distancing where possible.  We are doing everything possible to source PPE from around the world to help protect our front line staff but unnecessarily exposing them at meetings counteracts some of these measures. Different ways in which communications can be cascaded should therefore be considered, for example:

• Holding operational meetings in larger areas such as visits or the chapel;
• Asking people to dial in, where possible;
• Holding smaller meetings and asking managers to cascade messages to smaller audiences;
• Briefing papers sent out to staff.

Managing prisons is extremely difficult at the moment but if we can do anything to help protect our staff and keep all our families safe we should.  Doing so will ensure resources within prisons remain as high as possible and assist with the operational running during the difficult period we are going to encounter.

All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.

During this period establishments will not be audited and HMIP have confirmed the suspension of formal programmes of inspection although one day scrutiny visits will take place. Establishment performance management mechanisms will also be suspended. Under these circumstances establishments should postpone any meetings that do not contribute to the management of the establishment regime. Establishments may hold a morning meeting as normal and use this forum to review staffing levels and to attribute available resources to the daily work. The defensible decision making log should be updated to reflect all operational regime decisions made during daily meetings.

During this unprecedented period the increased use of prisoner labour through peer workers and risk assessed essential workers should be considered in non-security related roles to enhance the community workforce.  The risk assessment of such individuals in advance of their use and appropriate rewards and recognition for their actions must be considered.

Operational managers from HQ have now been redeployed to prisons to provide additional support and regimes have been restricted to take account of the reduced staffing resources. The recently published additional bonus scheme for operational managers working in these difficult circumstances is to recognise the additional working pressures which we are conscious that managers are already facing and will face in the coming weeks. The expectation as key workers is that operational managers will continue to operationally support their establishment as best they are able whilst they are fit and well to do so. In respect of working hours, it is important that operational managers work sensibly and talk with their line managers where they are under pressure and faced with family issues at this time to ensure that they are supported. We recognise that everyone is doing their very best in the most difficult of circumstances and certainly there will be no disciplinary consequences for managers who are unable to work more hours due to outside commitments.  

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Waste should continue to be collected from units throughout the COVID-19 period in order to support and sustain as clean an environment as possible. This may require short, supervised cleaning periods where cleaning parties clear the unit waste or doing door to door waste collection during meal services similar to that operated within Care and Separation Units.

Waste collection vehicles should be given access to the establishment where possible. If this is not feasible, large wheelie bins should be brought to the gate area in order to be collected. Further guidance will follow.

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Repairs and Maintenance should continue as fully as staff availability allows. Consideration should be given to alternative sources of resource (contractors through existing agency lines) if resource becomes particularly problematic.

The three providers Amey, GFSL and Mitie have agreed a common approach regarding PPE for their staff.  In addition to the usual footwear, eye protection etc., staff will wear protective gloves at all times. 

Face masks will not be worn when safe distances guidance is being maintained, but where staff are expected to enter a residential unit where prisoners are unlocked and safe distancing is not being maintained they will wear face masks.

The provision and wearing of PPE is a matter for each individual company, although we would expect a consistent approach.  When a subcontractor attends site it will be for each individual contractor to provide and wear PPE and we need to facilitate their working arrangements.  Governors or other managers are not expected to provide PPE for any non-directly employed staff. They should not restrict the use of PPE for any non-directly employed staff.

All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.

Up to date guidance on staff disciplinary and grievance procedures during COVID-19 can be accessed via: https://intranet.noms.gsi.gov.uk/covid-19-coronavirus/staff-and-managers2/grievances-and-discipline

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In July 2020 the government announced that shielding for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable would be paused with effect from 1st August in England and 16th August in Wales.

We have been working with health and safety teams, the Trade Unions and in consultation with public health officials to create this guidance. The guidance explains the conversations that managers must have and individual risk assessments that must take place for colleagues before deciding whether they can return to a workplace.

The guidance also explains the situation for staff who live or care for someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.

You should make sure all of your managers and staff read this guidance because returning to work may cause real fear and anxiety for people who have been shielding since March.

Please make sure all staff continue to adhere to social distancing and hygiene methods, particularly hand washing. There is a real risk that over time people become more complacent and less likely to do the basics. As we are bringing people back to the workplace, we must make sure it is safe for them and that they are reassured through messaging from senior managers that this is taken seriously.

All contents within this guidance are to be treated as OFFICIAL and the link to the platform is not to be shared externally.

09/05/22: Please use the following link to the Post National Framework page for all up to date guidance following the exit of the National Framework

This guidance outlines the use Safe Operating Procedures when working under COVID-19 conditions.

SOPs

Standard Operating Procedures Version 8

1	Use of PPE Room Visits COVID-19
4	CPR Response
6	Escorts and Bedwatches
7	Cleaning cells Suspected COVID-19
8	Use of Vehicle Cleaning Decon of vehicles
9	Operational Tasks Covid-19
10	NTRG Use of Force
11	AFCs
12	Official Visits Covid-19
13	Offices
14	Interviews 1-1
15	POELT Delivery
16	Social Visits
17	UoF Training
18	Dental Alarm Bell Response
19	CPAP use in a Room
20	Kitchen Serveries
21	Prisoners Essential Work FRSM
22	Operational Training
23	Stage 1

Additional Health and Safety Guidance:

National Corporate Risk Assessment for the Management of Operations during COVID-19

HMPPS have existing Health and Safety Risk Assessments (RA) for tasks and work processes within the organisation where the need for a RA has been identified. The purpose of this RA is to record COVID-19 as a new hazard and to acknowledge the associated risks and control measures required to keep people as safe as reasonably practicable in the workplace. This will be updated on a regular basis.

Update 04/01/22 – The National COVID-19 Risk Assessment has been reviewed to acknowledge the implementation of daily mandatory testing for staff in Prisons and Probation.

COVID-19 Workplace Risk Assessment

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Fire safety- Requirement for RPE refresher training

The 6 month extension period applied in March 2020 to RPE refresher training will expire September 30th 2020. Prisons should therefore in consultation with their Health Safety & Fire Teams, develop a recovery training plan for the resumption of annual RPE refresher training.

An exceptional delivery model with enhanced cleaning and handling procedures is in place for practical training scenarios.

RPE training for new starters resumed in July 2020.

Please see the below material to support training.

Smoke Hood Refurbishment COVID-19

Due to the current escalating restrictions in place attributed to COVID-19 it is important that whilst there is full capacity available at the supplier to refurbish used Smoke Hoods the transfer of sets is undertaken without unnecessary delay.

Every establishment shall ensure that when Smoke Hoods are used they are sent as soon as is reasonably possible to the identified hubs. This applies to any previously used Smoke Hoods currently being stored for return and refurbishment. Hubs shall ensure that Branston is made aware at the earliest opportunity of RPE sets to be exchanged or revalidated.

Following the use of RPE Sets. DO NOT put the Set back in the carry case.  The set should be double bagged. Place bagged used sets and Bandolier Case in the correct returns box (one box per set (including Bandolier case) and return to the Regional Hub to complete a one for one exchange.

NDC Branston will make more frequent collections from the hubs to increase the flow of RPE.

For further information please contact the HQ National Fire Team.
NationalFireSafetyTeam@justice.gov.uk